|
For all of you unsigned bands out there who rely on any exposure you can get for your songs, here is a chance for you to help save an important slice of internet radio. As you may or may not have heard, the royalty fees being paid by online radio are being heavily debated. If you're not familiar with the situation ... educate yourself at savenetradio.org.
In a nutshell, the major record labels—in an ongoing fight to prove that they are 50 years out of date—are lobbying for net radio to pay more royalties. The worse outcome would be to raise the fees so high as to bankrupt just about all internet broadcasters. Thanks to many petitions and some help from a couple of savvy congressmen (go figure) the fee hike has been delayed.
Now in fairness to the majors, I can understand their point. However they are (as usual) going about it the wrong way. This new set of fees are the blanket type that will effect every broadcaster, regardless of size. They will be too high for any of the great independent broadcasters out there to afford. The irony of it is that most of them do not even play any of the music that these majors are trying to protect. So ... how can you help? Easy.
Take for example my good friend Lazlo at BlowUpRadio.com. He's not in this to make money and even now before the rate hikes, he often loses money. But that was never the point. He simply loves music and wants to give airtime to those who need it most ... the unsigned. In order to do this and not end up sleeping in a van by a river, Lazlo is implementing something many public and college radio stations have been doing for years. The Waiver.
Simply download the BlowUpRadio.com Podcast Music Release Form, print it, fill it out, sign it and mail it to Lazlo with a CD (yes, he does listen to everything). If you have your doubts about 'giving up royalties', let me ask you this ... are you getting paid for anyone to play your music now? I'm pretty certain the answer is no. And if the answer is yes, then you're some big-ass signed band that doesn't need the help. At earliest stages of any band's career, exposure is gold.
And for all you other internet broadcasters who play new, indie music ... take a hint from what Lazlo is doing. It could save your station.
See Also:
 Podcast Music Release Form
BlowUpRadio.com
SaveNetRadio.org
|
